WWII Photos and Documents

[SSMN]

The name of this watch/fuze making factory was Gebruder Thiel (Thiel Brothers)
Photos of their factory.

[SSMN]

This is one of their deadly fuzes and an example of their prewar products. Also, their company logo.

[SSMN]

There is a point to all this. The factory utilized forced foreign labor during the war (as did Walther and other arms manufacturers) and so had guards throughout their factories.

Documents still exist confirming the issue of 20 Walther PPKs to their guards at each of their three factories, (a second factory was at Seebach and a third at Muhlhausen).

Of those, nine are known to still exist. I have two of these and they are unique. They are of 1935 production and have consecutive Walther serial numbers. In addition to that, they have consecutive Thiel property numbers with logos on each gun. Also the group includes one of the original holsters carried by a guard named Hoffmann and so marked and numbered to the gun in several places.

Since this is primarily a firearms forum, I'm sure there are some out there who will find all of this interesting.

[SSMN]

Holster markings

[geds]

Steve - this is great info on Rhula and those are beautiful pistols! May I copy the Rula postcard to include in my grandfather's story?

Also, I didn't mention I have several of the same postcards and store bought photos of Paris and Cannes that you have. Apparently, they sold these as souvenirs to the GIs. My wife's father who was in the Navy in North Africa wound up with some of the same Paris photo booklets on a trip he made through there.

You mentioned the false surrenders and wondered if that was common. In grand daddy's experience they faced three rounds of false surrenders in their second day of combat. In the books I read on his unit, the authors indicated it was a hard lesson, that the soldiers learned early on and were wary of throughout the rest of the war.

[SSMN]

Steve,
Please feel free to do so. Here is more information about Rhula and Thiel. Also a photo of machines produced by Thiel, some of which no doubt were utilized in the manufacture of Walthers just a few miles away.
Also an 1880's letterhead for the company.

[geds]

Steve - check your PM. I want to cite you and/or your sources as references in my document. Thanks again!

[geds]

I did a little research on Camp Callan, in La Jolla, California:

Camp Callan was built in November of 1940 as a Coast Artillery Corps replacement training center for new inductees. Open for business in January of 1941, it was named for Maj. Gen. Robert Callan (1874-1936), a veteran of the Spanish American War and World War I. By 1942, the post had over 297 buildings, covered 23 blocks, had 5 post exchanges, 3 theaters and 5 chapels. About 15,000 men went through a 13 week training cycle with a strong emphasis on modern coast artillery and anti-aircraft defense weapons.

On November 22, 1940, the War Department announced plans to create a replacement training center for Coast artillery units in the Torrey Pines Mesa area. Men inducted into the military under the Selective Service Program would be assigned to this new training center. The purpose of this training center was to teach trainees how to fire long-range weapons in the event the Imperial Japanese Navy tried to attack the West Coast of the United States. This training center was named "Camp Callan" in honor of Major General Robert Emmet Callan, a distinguished Coast Artillery officer.

Construction of the base began in November 1940 and official occupation of the camp was marked by a military flag-raising ceremony that took place on January 15, 1941. Twenty officers and one hundred and twenty enlisted men were present. They were all members of the first unit of operations personnel at the new base. Brigadier General Francis P. Hardaway was the new camp's first commander. He spoke on the importance of the camp to the defense program at this ceremony. On February 24, 1941, the first large guns arrived at the camp. Nine of these guns were French-made 155 mm guns that dated back to World War I. Around five thousand trainees arrived at the camp between the last week of February and the end of March. They arrived by rail at a nearby reopened railroad station. The first trainees came mostly from Fort Ord and Fort MacArthur in California, Fort Sheridan in Illinois, Fort Missoula in Montana and Fort Vancouver in Washington. The first military review was held on April 2, 1941. Six thousand men passed in formation before Major General Joseph A. Green, Chief of Coastal Artillery. He congratulated them on the progress they had made in such a short time. Since the camp did not have its own military band, a 100-piece Marine Corps band provided music for this ceremony.
A period of significant change for the camp began in March 1942. The military had seen the terrible damage the Luftwaffe had inflicted on the United Kingdom so they decided to place full training emphasis on anti-aircraft weapons rather than on a combination of seacoast artillery and anti-aircraft weapons. This change marked the beginning of a two-year period of peak activity for the camp. Approximately fifteen thousand trainees were going through their training during each thirteen week training cycle. Training ranges on the base included a 1,000-inch range, a 200-yard rifle range, a pistol range, an automatic weapons range and a 3-inch anti-aircraft gun range. The trainees learned to use 155 mm, 90 mm, 75 mm, and 40 mm caliber guns as well as the associated fire control equipment. Gun firing positions were established for this training. In addition to artillery gun positions and small arms ranges, a variety of other facilities and structures were built on the base. These improvements included barracks and cantonments, a 910-bed station hospital, offices, five Post Exchanges, three theaters, five chapels, support buildings, storage buildings and a landfill. In all, the developed part of the base covered twenty-three blocks and had over 297 buildings at this time. Various living amenities were provided for the health, general education and war training schooling of the trainees, much like other Army camps of the time. A weekly newspaper called The Range Finder and an annual pictorial review called The Callander were published at the camp. The camp eventually got its own 40-piece military band as well.

The Anti-Aircraft training program was moved to Ft. Bliss, Texas, in 1944 and Camp Callan was declared surplus in November 1945. Most of the buildings were purchased by the city of San Diego and sold for salvage. Today, the site contains a variety of developments including: the Torrey Pines golf course, several private businesses and research facilities, a glider port and a section of the University of California at San Diego. A few foundations remain in the area to the north of the University of California Campus.

[Snafu-BE]

Originally Posted by SSMN

Recovering a tank near Hildburghausen. Bridge gave way.

April 6 1945

During April 4, 5, and 6 1945, the Cavalry Command, under control of CCA, had been active on the mission of securing the Division’s south flank. Operating south of the heavy woods in the vicinity of Suhl, a line had been established from the outskirts of Themar through Bischofred to Schleusingen which was occupied at 1810 April 6 by a Rcn Tr, A Tk Plat, and a TD Plat.

A change in troops occurred at 1645 April 6 when 58 FA Bn of 183 FA Gp reverted to Corps control. Coincidentally with this information a Ln O from Division visited the CP with a warning order calling for an attack by CCA on the town of Hildburghausen to commence 0700 April 7. At 1900 Division Operations Memorandum No. 51 arrived under the provisions of which Cavalry Command minus 1 reconnaissance troop reverted to Division control in place. CCA, besides attacking Hildburghausen, was to maintain contact with 26th Infantry Division on the north flank while remaining elements of the division passed behind CCA to take up positions to the south and advance parallel to the direction of our advance. A meeting of commanders was held at which troops for the projected operation were established on the following basis; three forces under the commands of Lt Col Ahee, Maj Shealy, and Lt Col Brady were to conduct the operation coordinated by the CG. Composition of these forces was as follows :

Task Force Ahee
A/63 AI Bn
A/42 Tk Bn
Plat A/41 Cav
Plat A/56 Engr
Support Wpns Hq 42 Tk Bn
A Btry 490 FA Bn

Task Force Shealy
B/42 Tk Bn
B/63 AI Bn
Plat A/41 Cav
Plat A/56 Engr
Support Wpns Hq 63 AI Bn

Task Force Brady
Plat 41 Cav
C/63 AI Bn
C/42 Tk Bn
Plat 56 Engr Bn
Plat 705 TD Bn
490 FA Bn (-)

The remainder of the artillery was directly under 183 Gp control. Plan of operations was for the three forces to operate on separate routes, TF Ahee to proceed initially to capture Themar on the right flank, TF Shealy to capture Schleusingen on the left flank, and TF Brady to use a central route of advance followed by all other elements of the command in a direct attack on Hildburghausen.

[bobski]

my father in law snapped this one. island hopping 1944. captured jap stash of ammo. look closely. see the g.i.'s walking up the side? THAT is lot of ammo.

[Joschibald]

WOW!
Thank you for the Fotos.
This is my hometown on the pictures! (Gallneukirchen)
The field looks today still like at the pictures!

Have you more Pics from this Village?

Thank you for sharing!

Wonderful!

nice greetings from Austria
Joschi